Automatic oil-cup for air-pumps.



LM. LEVINE.

AUTOMATIC 01L CUP FORAIB PUMPS. APPLICATION FILED Nov. 22, I916. RENEWED 0m. 15, 1917.

,1 87.. I Patented Dec. $1917 JACOB 1V1. LEVINE, 0F CLINTON, ILLINOIS.

.AUTOMATTC OIL-CUP FOR AIR-PUMPS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. a, tort;

Application filed. November 22, 1916, Serial No. 132,877. Renewed October 15, 1917. Serial No. 196,735.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JACOB M. LEVINE, a resident of Clinton, county of Dewitt, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Oil- Cups for Air-Pumps, of which the following is a specification.

Myinvention relates to improvements in automatic oil cups and particularly to such devices as are used in connection with the air pumps of locomotives and the like.

The principal object of this invention is the provision of such a device which is automatic in operaton and simple in construction, being controlled by the reciprocations of the piston of the air pump to deliver oil into the cylinder thereof at intervals in small quantities, as drop by drop. The air pump controls the operation of the oil cup by means ofthe variation in the air pressure caused by the reciprocations of the piston.

Another object of this invention is the provision of such a device including a receptacle having a valve member slidably mounted therein with a limited movement and having a passage therethrough, the opening thereinto from the receptacle being below the valve proper, the passage being provided with a valve to prevent the passage of air therethrough on the upstroke of the piston of the air pump, the valve member being normally held in closed position on its seat and adapted to be raised by the increased air pressure by the upstroke of the piston, so that a small quantity of oilwill pass from the receptacle into the passage through the valve member, the valve in the passage preventing its discharge into the cylinder until the piston takes its down stroke, when a partial vacuum is created and the air pressure in the upper part of the cylinder of the air pump is reduced so that the valve in the passage is unseated and a small quantity or drop of oil is discharged into the cylinder before the piston commences its upstroke.

To the accomplishment ofthe foregoing and such other objects as may hereinafter appear my invention consists in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and then sought to be defined in the appended claims reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming a part hereof and which shows merely for the purpose of iljlustrativedisclosure a preferred embodiment of my invention, it being expressly understood that various changes may be made in practice within the scope of the claims without digressing from my inventive idea. 1.

In the drawing, the figure represents a vertical cross section taken through a device constructed according to my invention, the open or raised position of the valve member being indicated in dotted lines.

Referring now to the drawing, the numeral 1 designates the body of the device which is in the form of a hollow casing or cylindrical receptacle 2, having its lower or bottom portion reduced, as at 3, and provided with a passage d therethrough, and having the valve seat 5 provided at its upper end. The lower end part of the reduced portion of the body is externally screw threaded as at 6 for convenient attachment to the usual air pump of a locomotive, the reduced portion being squared so as to facilitate the use of a wrench or other tool.

Slidably mounted in the passage 4 is the valve member 7, having the valve proper 8 in its upper portion adapted to rest on the valve seat 5. Depending from the valve proper is the stem portion 9, having an intermediate reduced annular portion 10 to receive the engaging end 11 of the locking screw 12, the reduced annular portion being considerably longer than the width of the end of the screw so that the valve member has a limited movement within the passage 4, whereby the valve 8 may be raised from off its seat.

The stem portion 9 of the valve member i is located immediately below the valve 8.

The body of the device is internally screwthreaded, as at 19, to receive the cap member 20, which has the depending stud or stem 21 to hold the coil spring 22, which embraces it, and the other end of which embraces and engages the stud or projection 23 on the upper end of the valve member 7 above the valve p roper Sfso as to normally hold the valve onits seat and to force it to its closed position when the air pressure is decreased sufliciently.

The operation of the device is as follows, it being understood that the casing or receptacle has a quantity of oil or other lubricant therein, and that the parts are normally in the position shown in full lines. On the upstroke of the piston of the air pump, the increase in the pressure of the air thereabove forces the ball valve 15 against its seat 16 and prevents the passage of any air through the passage 13 into the casing or receptacle. This increased air pressure is sufficient to overcome the downward pressure of the spring 22 against the valve member 7 and therefore forces the valve member 7 upwardly, lifting the valve 8 off its seat and permitting a small quantity of Oil to enterpassage 13 through passage 18. 'On the return or downward stroke of the piston of the air pump, a partial vacuum is created in the upper portion of the cylinder thereof, decreasing the air pressure so that the spring 2:2 forces the valve member 7 downwardly to seat the valve proper 8, and also permitting the ball valve 15 to drop from its seat so that a small quantity or drop of oil will be discharged from the V passage 13 into the air pump before the piston starts its next upward stroke, thereby completing the cycle of operation.

lVhat I claim is V 1. A device of the character described including in combination, a receptaclehaving an outlet passage, a valve member movably mounted in said outlet passage and having a discharge passage therethrough communicating with the receptacle when the valve member is opened, and a valve for said discharge passage arranged so as to close said passage when said valve member is opened.

2. A device of the character described including in combination, a receptacle adapted to be mounted on a reciprocating pump and'having an outlet passage, a valve member movably mounted in said outlet passage, means for limiting the movement of said valve member in said passage, said valve member having a discharge passage therethrough adapted to communicate with the receptacle when the valve member is open, means for normally holding said valve member closed, and a valve for said discharge passage, said valve member being adapted to be raised for opening on the compression stroke of the pump, the increased air pressure closing the valve in the discharge passage, the valve member closing on the suction stroke of the air pump and the valve in the discharge passage opening.

3/ A device of the character described includingin combination, a receptacle having an outlet passage-provided with a valve seat, a valve member mounted in said outlet passage and having a limited sliding move ment thereinand adapted to fit said valve seat, means for normally holding said valve i memberon its seat, said valve being adapte d to be forced open on the compression 4 stroke of the pump to which the device is attached, said valve member havinga discharge passage therethrough which. communicates with said receptacle and having a valve therefor which is normally open but is adapted to be closed onthe compression stroke'of the pump. l r

4;. A device of the character described in cluding in combination, a receptacle having an outlet passage provided with a valve seat, a valve member'mount'ed in said outlet passage and having a limited sliding movement therein, said valve member having a valve proper ada )ted to fit said valve seat, means for normally holding said valve proper on its seat, said valve member having a discharge passage therethrough with an'outlet adapted to communicate with the receptacle when the valve isopen, said outlet being located below said valve proper, and a valve in said discharge passage.

5. A device of the character described including in combination, a receptacle having an outlet assage provided with avalve seat,-

a valve member mounted in said outlet pas-' sage and having a limited sliding movement therein, said valvememberhaving a valve proper adapted to fit said valve seat, means for normally holding said valve proper on its seat, said valve member having a discharge passage therethrough with its communicating outlet to the receptacle-located below said valve proper, and a gravity actuated valve 1 in said discharge passage arranged so as to normally open.

6. A device of the character described including in combination, a'receptacle having an outlet passage provided with a valve seat,

a'valve member mounted in said outlet passage and having alimited sliding movement therein, said valve'memberhaving a valve proper adapted to fit said valve seat, means for normally holding saidvalve proper on its seat, said valve member having a discharge passage therethrough having a laterally extending inlet passage located below said valve proper so as to be placed in communication with said receptacle when the valve proper is off its seat, and a gravity actuated valve in said discharge passage arranged so as to be normally open.

7. A device of the character described including in combination, a receptacle having a its end engaging said annular-portion of the valve member so as to limit its movement, a cap member for said receptacle, a spring bearing against said cap member and said valve member for normally holding said valve proper on its seat, said valve member having a discharge passage therethrough having its inlet opening into said receptacle located below said valve proper, and a valve in said discharge passage.

8. A device of the character described including in combination, a receptacle having a reduced outlet portion with a passage therethrough having. a valve seat, a valve member movably mounted in said passage and having a reduced portion and a valve proper fittingsaid valve seat, an element in said reduced'outlet portion With its end engaging said reduced annular portion of the valve member so as to limit its movement, a cap member for said receptacle, a spring bearing against said cap member and said valve member for normally holding said valve proper on its seat, said valve member having a discharge passage therethrough having its inlet opening into said receptacle located below said valve proper, and a gravity actuated valve in said discharge passage arranged so as to be normally open and to be closed when subjected to the increased pressure which opens said valve proper.

9. A device of the character described including .in'combination, a receptacle having an outlet passage and a valve seat at its inner end, a valve member movably mounted in said passage and having a valve proper at its inner end for said valve seat, said valve member having a discharge passage therethrough communicating With said receptacle when said valve proper is off its seat, and a valve in said discharge passage arranged so as to close When said valve proper is off its seat so that a charge of fiuid is admitted into the discharge passage, which is discharged when the valve proper is seated and the valve in the discharge passage opens.

JACOB M. LEVINE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

